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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model V. F. LA'SSOE.

STEERING GEAR FOR VESSELS AND FLOATING BODIES.

No. 398.631. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

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2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

V. P. LASSOE.

STEERING GEAR FOR VESSELS AND FLOATING BODIES.

Patente Feb. 26, 1889.

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VALDEMAR F. IIASSOE, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO CORNELIUS II.DE LAMATER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEERING-GEAR FOR VESSELS AND FLOATING BODIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,631, dated February26, 1889.

Application filed November 14, 1888. ,gerial No. 290.817. (No model.)

TooZl 2072 0121, 7'1 may concern.-

Be it known that I, YALDEMAR F. Liisson,

of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventeda new and usefullmprovement in Steering-G ears for Vessels and FloatingBodies, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings. I

This invention relates to the steering of vessels or floating bodiestowed or towing. Its object is to furnish reliable steering-gear for useeither on the vessel or floating body towed or the vessel towing, orboth, and es pecially for use in cases where the ordinarysteerii'ig-gear is insufficient by reason of the peculiar build or formof the vessel or floating body towed and in cases where the ordi narysteering-gem." is disabled.

One of the purposes to which my invention is especially applicable isthetowingot' scows which are either unprovided with rudders or which,when provided with rudd ers, are almost unmanageable thereby on accountof their blunt ends and flat bottoms. I have illustrated the applicationof my invention to this purpose in Figures 1, 2, fl, and l of thedrawings.

Fig. 1 is side view of one end of a scow having my invention applied.Fig. 2 is a rear View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Flg. iis a diagram illustrating the towing of the scow by a tow-boat. Fig. 5is a plan View of the stern of a tow-boat having my invention applied. 6and 7 are diagrams illustrat ing the different applications of myinvention.

Similar letters of reference designate corre sponding parts in all thefigures.

I will first describe my invention with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 5, and4.

A designates a running bridle, consisting of a rope or chain having itsends connected ner, as by a shackle, I), which may be also used, asshown in Fig. 3, to connect together the ends of the rope or chain ofwhich the bridle is composed.

E designates a tow-boat, to which the towline is shown connected at afixed point, f.

In this above-described example of my invention the scow is steered byshifting the connection 1) ol' the tow-line athwartships, either tostarboard or port, by turning the capstan O. and thereby nuwing thebridle in the requisite direction. The movement of the connection I) ineither direction causes the scow to be steered in the oppositedirection.

In the diagram of my invention represented in Fig. 4 the connection I;is moved to starboard, and the scow I; is steered in the oppositedirection, as indicated by the arrow.

The capstan-barrel C may be turned by a wheel, 0, like an ordinarysteering-wheel. I have represented such a wheel having on its shaft anendless screw, cl, gearing with a wormwheel, 0, on the capstan-barrel.The endless screw and 'Oll'll-WIIOQI serve to lock the capstan and therunning bridle A in any position in which they may be left by thesteering-wheel.

hen my invention is applied to a vessel for towing, I propose generallyto apply it at the stern thereof, as shown in Fig. 5,111 which arerepresented a running bridle, A, sheavesupports a, a capstan-barrel, C,and a towline connection, I), in all respects, except as to theirposition in the vessel, substantially like the corresponding parts shownin Figs.

1, 2, and 3.

In the diagram shown in Fig. 6 the scow B or body towed is representedwithout any steer- 9o ing apparatus, and the towing-vessel E isrepresented as having my steering apparatus applied at the stern, asshown in Fig. 5. As the tow-line D is moved by the capstan C and bridleA in one direction or the other, the vcs- 5 sel IE will turn in the samedirection, and the seow or body towed will follow in the same direction.The diagram Fig. 6 may also represent a steamer having her rudderdisabled towing an improvised raft or drag for TOO the purpose ofsteering the steamer.

In the diagram Fig. 7 a vessel towing and a vessel. thereby towed areboth shown fitted with my steeringapparatus, the towing vessol havin thesaid apparatus applied at the stern and the vessel towed having it'applied at the bow. 13y moving the tow-line connection. to starboard 0nthe towing vessel and to port on the body towed both are caused to moveto starboard, and by moving the towline connection in the oppositedirection both are moved to port.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

The combination, with a vessel and a towline therefor, of a runningsteering-bridle,

movement of the bridle, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

VALDEMAR F. LASSOE. \Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, JOHN BICKET.

